Automatic track-closer.



J. NUESKE. AUTOMATIG TRACK CLOSER. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21, '1910.

967,229; Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

IIIIII' Witnesse L I! i Inventor,

z @1195 v by 3 IIIHI Attorneys JOHN NUESKE, 01F WITTENIBERG, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC 'IRACK-GLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. Md, 1%10.

Application filed March 21, 1910. Serial No. 550,649.

To all whomtt may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN 'NUESKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Witteriberg, in the county of Shawano and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Automatic Track-Closer, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic track'closer adapted especially to be used upon elevated trackways, at barns, stables.

and the like and it Consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and. described. In such structures it is the usual practice to have a portion of the trackway within the structure and another portion extending outside thereof. The structures are usually provided with sliding doors and in order to close the same it is the common practice to provide a track with a detachable section in the path of the door. When the door-is closed this section is removed and it frequently happens that when the door is opened that failure is made to replace these detachable sections and con sequently when the carrier moves 'along the track it falls from the same at the point thereof where the detachable section should be and results in annoyance and frequently damage.

It is the object of the present invention to provide meansfor automatically closing the track against the passage of the carriage from within the structure when the door sec thereof is open and the detachable track tion is out of position. 1

With this object in view the automatic track closer includes a bumper pivotally mounted and adapted to be held out of the path of movement when the detachable track section is in position and which automatically falls down and closes the track within the structure when the said detachable track;

standing of the structure and mode of operation of the track closer. The barn or stable structure is provided with the usual rafters or beams 1 from which hangers 2 depend.

The interior tracksection 3 is located in the said structure and the said structure is provided upon its outer side and above its door opening with a rail or track 4 upon which the barn or stable door (not shown) is adapted to travel in the usual manner.

A beam 5 is located outside of the barn or stable structure and is provided with hangers 6 which support the outer track section 7 in the usual manner. The adjacent ends of the track sections 3 and 7 are spaced from each. other and the said space occurs in the path of movement of the door adapted to travel upon the rail 4. A detachable track section 8 is adaptedto fit between the adjacent ends of the track sections 3 and 7 in the usual manner and when the said section 8 is in position communication is maintained between the said track sections 3 and 7 while, when the said section 8 is detached communication between the said sections 3 and 7 is interrupted but sufficient space is provided to permit the door which travels upon the rail 4 to close over thedoor opening of the barn or stable structure. All of the track sections 3, 7 and 8 are provided with laterally disposed flanges 9 upon which the wheels of the carriage travel in the usual manner.

A hanger 10 depends from one of the beams or rafters 1 of the barn or stable structure and is connected at its lower end with the upper portion of the outer end of the track section 3. A bumper 11 is pivoted to the hanger 10 and is approximately L shape in side elevation. The bumper 11 is provided at the extremity of its outerend with a laterally disposed lug 12 which is adapted to fit under: the adjacent and of'thev track section 8 when the same isin position between the track sections 3 and 7 and the intermediate portion of the outer end of the said bumper 11 is adapted to lie between the upper portions of the adjacent ends of the track sections 3 and 8 in the manner as shown in Fig. 1 of'the drawings when the said track section 8 is in posit10n as indicated. The inner end portion of the bum or 11 is bifurcated as at 13 and the brane es at the inner end of the said bumper 11 are adapted to travel the upper portion of the track section 3 and lie upon the flanges} thereof when the outer portion of the said bumper 11 swings upwardly and away from the end of the track section 3. From its pivot to its opposite end the bumper 11 is heavier at that end portion 3 which is provided with the bifurcation 13'than at that .end portion which is provided with the lug 12. Therefore it will be seen that when the track section 8 is positioned between the track sections 3 and 7' and the inner end of the track section 8 rests upon the lug 12 of the bumper 11 the bifurcated end of said bumper 11 will be held in an elevated position'and no obstruction is presented to the free passage of a carriage along the flanges 9 of the track sections 3, 8 and 7. However, when the track section 8 is removed the bifurcated end of the bumper 11 will gravitate and the ends of the flanges at the bifurcated end of the said bumper will rest directly upon the upper surfaces of the flanges 9 of thetrack section 3. Thus the door of the barn or stable structure may be closed and when the said door is opened and prior to positioning the track section 8 between the track sections 3 and 7 it is impossible for the carriage to roll down along the track section 3 and off at the end of the same for the reason that the wheels of the carriage will encounter the branches at the bifurcated end of the bumper 11 and their progress along the track section 3 will be stopped.

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination with relatively fixed track sections having spaced adjacent ends and a detachable track section adapted to fit between theends of the fixed track sections,

a bumper located over one of the fixed track sections and held in an unobstructed posh tion by the detachable track section when applied and which automatically obstructs the track section over which it is located when the said detachable track section is removed, said bumper also serving in part as a supporting means for the detachable track section.

2. In combination with relatively fixed track sections having spaced adjacent ends, and a detachable track section adapted to fit between the adjacent ends of the fixed track sections, a hanger depending from a fixed support and connected at its lower portion with one of the fixed track sections, a bumper pivotally mounted upon said hanger and being approximately L shaped in side elevation, said bumper having at the extremity of one end a lug and being provided at its other end with a bifurcation, the detachable track section when inserted between the adjacent ends of the fixed track sections being adapted to rest upon the said lug and hold the bifurcated end of the bumper in an elevated position with respect to said track section over which it is located, the bifurcated end of said bumper being heavier than that end portion of the bumper which is provided with said lug.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signatn re in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN NUESKE.

Witnesses:

HERMAN WIsKow, Gor'rLIEn SCHLEI. 

